Orthopedic child&#39;s sandal



Dec. 4, 1945. E. H. BETTMANN ORTHOPEDIC CHILDS SANDAL Filed June 6, 1945 Patented Dec. 4, 1945 UNiTb PATENT OFFICE yErnest vH,lettinttn-n, New York, Y.; assigner to Walter Liebrecht, New York, N. Y.

y H1'0 Claims.

The present invention is directed to orthopedic d evlces .more .particularly to, a sandal adapted foriuse by infant-,sat thetimeuthey :are learning totwalk, Italsocan .bewom by older children andgrown-ups, :eventually also in shoe form..

Generally the.normal infant .has feetk which are perfect1y.norma1,. with. the bones,.joints and muscles in .proper-relationship After Ait `learns to Walla.variousdifculties arisein that. theorie inal weight bearing...changes and. normal. relation `of bones and muscles of thereetoftenlead to irreparable ,deformities and abnormal posture which not onlyinterfere .with the normal use .of the. feet, but also cause .muscle and.` joint .,pain. Sometimes fthe. deformities so developed may be alleviated and often completely corrected` byexerc'ises, appliancesfand other means; However,

such treatment .islong drawn out-'and expensive and ver'y often burdensome to the patient.l

The present invention is 'intended and adapted to overcome the diinculties set forth above and to provide lmeans. for proper foot muscle function andpreventing bone deformities and also l for present invention to provide device which may b worn by the infant or `older 4indivi uals,

`whereby eeternitiesA either naturally 'eeeilrr'ng or developed later may becrrectedew rn practicing the present invention there. is trends@ a 'sardalllavieg .ai bifvm elfde@- iefp .et the. from nfld.. Sides? This eivsfr@ play to lthe.,muscles`of, the.. foot.. At the. rear tlierefis4 provided a back portionwhicl embraces the heelandserves to kepthesndalin proper reietienjshipte. the feet. The. underside, ef ,the Swim! beito ifede@ .with 'reugheedurf `face. so as to. providesuiiicient friction in; order to give a firm-`hold onthe, surface ofzthe ground and not allow` slippagefxduring..walking. The upper side of the, sandal bottomis provided with an `irregular surface. usually Vin the form of bristles, knobs, rolls, tubes or the like, preferably resilient in character, `forming a soft, rough ,walking surface. This serves as a physiological semelle for the musees ef the stieg ef ne lect and increases circulation tl'ireirl thus providing propendevelopment in. the muscles of the foot Whichere usedinwalkina. n There is also provided a scaphoidI pad .alia the middle side` of the` i sandal. bO'GtQm: 309., PrODQll-Y maintain the scaphoidin the vault structureibeing-f the, weak spot in relationship withQ the .rest of@ the foot structure. Therefisalso. provideda pronatorA Wedgeat the frontgof, the sandalgtending.. tohold in normalpositign r thefmet atarsal heads and fore foot.` Ihre sandal projects la, substantial distance .beyondthepronatonwedge and allows the toes to, flex downwardlyand thus-the muscles of the toes are strengthenedv andvdlevelop their-grasping power Whilethe infant is learning to'walk. At theheel portionythere, is a supinator wedge on the middle side thereof. A 1 M The. combinationof these elements gives freer dom of actionsof .all the footmuscles `d ring Walking,` While. at the same time providingfnie ns for. directing the muscles .andthe bones-intot-heir final. Irelative positions ande thestrengthening-*ef the muscles retains `the vbone structureproperly and results in the .formation of rnormalarhsl."

In the .accompanying drawing ,constitutngrga 'part hereof and in which like reference characters indicate like parts,... i. l. Fig.` .1 is aside elevation'al'vview` of; asl 1da1 made in accordance with ,theepresent invention, some parts being brokenaway lfor clearnessm,E

Fig. 2 is a View of the under side of thesandal bottommember; 1. Fig; 3 is a top plan view-of the sandal; ffy. Fig. 4 is a top plan xview of a modiledform of sandal,- showing particularlyr a simple .means forelevating the Wedge structures; i Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional .View taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; illustrating a means for raising the wedges; and i Fig. 6 is a vertical lcross-sectional view taken along the-line 6;-6 of-Fig. 4, showing anfalten-V nate means for accomplishing the same result..

The sandal consists essentially of a flat bottom member I of substantially` uniform thickness,

having corrugations `2 preferably diagonally placed on the bottom thereof. The upper sur-face ef 'member I is previded with soft rubber` er other yprojections 3, which as lshown are inthe nature of short bristles. A back 4 is attached to the rear portion of member l and is intended toA provided a scaphoid pad I just forward of the back. A supinator wedge II is placed on the heel portion of bottom I with its high point I2 along the medial side and its front I3 being practically adjacent to pad I0. Wedge II extends to point I4 practically at the lateral side of the sandal and gradually decreases in thickness until it merges at I4 with bottom I. There is a direct connection at I4 which is in the nature of a hinge about which wedge II may be moved.

Along the lateral side is a triangular wedge I6 having its highest area along the line I1 at the front of the wedge. 'I'he forepart I8 of the sandal extends a suiiicient distance beyond line I'I to provide a place for the toes of the wearer.

i Wedge I6 gradually decreases in thickness from fthe high area at I1 to the line along which it merges with the bottom I, said merger forming a hinge about which the wedge I6 may be moved.

The medial point I9 of wedge I6 terminates at z.

the medial sides 9 and the rearmost point IS' terminates a substantial distance in front of wedge I I of the sandal.

In order to adjust the height of one or both of wedges II and I6, there is provided a screw member having a thumb head 2|] passing through a similarly threaded member 2I which is secured to bottom I. A screw is attached to an inclined plane 22 underneath wedges II and IB.. Manipulation of head will raise or lower the wedges, as can be readily seen from Fig. 5.

In thev modication shown in Fig. 4, there is provided a Strap 23 placed diagonally of the Sandal, the front end24 thereof being secured to the under side of wedge I6 as more particularly shown in Fig. 6. The rear end 25 of the strap is similarly attached to the under side of area I2 of wedge II. The foot of the wearer passes underneath strap 23 and strap 26 and buckle Elr provides means for holding the sandal on the foot of the wearer. In this fo-rm the act of walking will cause a slight upward pressure on strap 23, tending to raise wedges II and IS and thus tending to hold the bones of the foot in their proper relative positions.

Although the invention has been described setting forth two specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein within the spirit of the invention. For instance, the

material of which the several elements are made may be any of those commonly known and used in the Shoe industry. The bottom I may be made of plastic or elastic material, rubber and the like, and corrugations and bristles may be intricately formed therein in a molding operation. Wedges I I and I6 may be provided with means other than those described for raising and lowering the same, Such as springs, or such means may be omitted and adjustments if desired may be made in other ways.

The'principal features of the invention may be incorporated in a shoe, Iwhich would have a double sole, the inner being made as set forth herein. It would have the heel supination wedge, the fore foot pronation wedge, holes in the inner sole, to provide proper foot respiration, and a stirrup-like leather band replacing the scaphoid pad and anchored to the medial side of the shoe.

These and other changes in the details of construction may be made in the spirit of lthe invention, the scope of which is dened by the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A sandal comprising a Vflat bottom member open at the sides'and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a scaphoid pad at the medial side of said member. a forefoot pronator wedge thereon for the metatarsal heads, and a heel supinator wedge at the medial side thereof, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge.

2. A sandal comprising a fiat bottom member open at the sides and .front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a roughened friction surface on the under Side of said member, a scaphoid pad at the medial side of said member, a forefoot pronator wedge thereon for the meta.- tarsal heads, and aheel supinator wedge at the medial side thereof, the forepart of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge.

3. A sandal comprising a flat bottom member open at the sides and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a resilient irregular surface on the upper` 4side of said member, a scaphoid pad at the medial side of said member, a forefoot pronator wedge thereon for the meta-Y tarsal heads, and a heel supinator wedge at the medial side thereof, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation Wedge.

4. A sandal comprising a fiat bottom member open at the sides and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a scaphoid pad at the medial side of said member, a forefoot pronator wedge thereon for the metatarsal heads, said Wedge being hinged to said member and means for varying the height of said Wedge, and a heel supinator wedge at the medial side thereof, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge.

5. A sandal comprising a dat bottom member open at the sides and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a scaphoid pad at the medial side of said member, a forefoot pronator wedge thereon for the metatarsal heads, said wedge being hinged to said member .and

means for varying the height of said wedge in.

cluding a screwand inclined plane arrangement and a heel supinator wedge at the medial side thereofy the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge.V

6. A sandal comprising a fiat bottom member open at the sides and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a scaphoid padV at the medial side of said member, aforefoot pronator wedge thereon for the metatarsal heads, and a heel supinator wedge at the medial side thereof, said supinator wedge being hinged to said member and means for varying the height of said wedge, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge.

7. A sandal comprising a at bottom member open at the sides and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a scaphoid pad at the medial side of `said member, a forefoot pronator wedge thereon for the metatarsal heads, and a heel supinator wedge at the medial side thereof, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge, and a strap having its ends attached to said wedges and adapted to pass over the foot of the wearer, said wedges being hinged to said member.

8. A sandal comprising a fiat bottom member open at the sides and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a scaphoid pad at the medial side of said member, a forefoot pronator wedge thereon for the metatarsal heads, and a heel supinator wedge at the medial side thereof, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge, said p-ronator Wedge being triangular in outline and being highest at said heads, tapering to meet said member in front of said back portion and part Way across said member.

9. A sandal comprising a fiat bottom member open at the sides and front and having a back portion to embrace the heel, a scaphod pad at the medial side of said member, a forefoot pronator Wedge thereon for the metatarsal heads,

and a heel supinator Wedge at the medial side thereof, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation wedge, said pad being substantially contiguous with the fore part of said supinator wedge.

and a heel supinator Wedge at the medial side' thereof, the fore part of said member extending beyond said pronation Wedge, Said supinator Wedge merging with said member at the lateral side thereof.

ERNEST H. BETTMANN. 

